Generation of electricity by radioactive wastes



May 10, 1966 R. SALCEDO GUMUCIO ETAL 3,250,925

GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY BY RADIOACTIVE WASTES Filed July 12, 1961 FLOW OF WATER CON TA INING' RAD/0A6 77 V5 WASTE RADIOAO Tl VE WA STE INVENTORS. RICARDO SALCEDO GUMUCIO By JOHN O'M. BOCKR/S ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed July 12, 1961, Ser. No. 123,523 12 Claims. c1. 310-3 This invention relates to a method for the utilization of the radiant energy of radioactive waste in producing electric current.

with the advent of modern nuclear reactors, the disposition and utilization of radioactive wastes have become an ever-increasing problem. It has now been found that radioactive waste can be used to establish an E.M.F. between two electrodes using flowing river water as electrolyte. The radioactive waste is employed to establish a condition wherein the radiation level at one electrode is greater than the radiation level at the other electrodes as a consequence of which an E.M.F (electromotive force or potential) is produced which generates an electric current. The river water serves both to convey the radioactive waste from the source of its production and as electrolyte for the system.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method and system which utilizes radioactive waste to generate an electric current.

Other and more detailed objects will be apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a digrammatic representation of one modification of this invention wherein the radioactive material is contained in waste water flowing from a reactor or the like; and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of another modification of this invention wherein the radioactive material is contained in a perforated container which serves as one of the electrodes.

Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that elements 2 and 4 are a pair of electrodes which are closely juxtaposed in mutually parallel relationship. The materials from which the electrodes are made may be identical and the difference in potential developed may be due solely to the difference in the radiation level at the respective electrodes. By way of example, porous-carbon electrodes may be used in such a system. It is also possible to use two disimilar metals between which an E.M.F. would be developed. For instance, a couple comprising iron and carbon or nickel and carbon may be employed.

Electrode 4 (FIG. 1) is provided with a radioactivity insulating or shielding layer 6, which serves to absorb the radioactivity contained in the water flowing between the electrodes. It is also provided with a baffle 8, which reduces contact of the radioactive material with the surfaces of this electrode remote from electrode 2.

Any suitable shielding material may be used in the construction of element 6 and bafile 8 (e.g, thin lead sheeting).

The polarity of the cell shown in FIG. 1 will depend upon the nature of the electrodes and the nature of the radioactive waste. In the usual situation wherein the electrodes may both be of carbon and the radioactive waste material emits a, 13 and 7 radiation, the unshielded electrode is the positive electrode and the shielded electrode is the negative electrode.

As shown in FIG. 1, waste water coming from a nuclear reactor, flows between the shielded electrode 4 and unshielded electrode 2. This waste water may be water into which solid radioactive waste has been dumped or Patented May 10, 1966 may be cooling water which has become radioactive as a result of its circulation through the cooling system of a nuclear reactor.

The radioactive-waste emission is concentrated at the unshielded electrode 2 as a result of which a difference in potential is developed between electrode 2 and electrode 4. By connecting the terminal leads 10 and 12 to an external electric circuit, an electric current will flow through this circuit.

In the modification of this invention shown in FIG. 2, one electrode is formed as a perforated container 12 which temporarily receives the radioactive material to be disposed of. A filling means 14 is disposed above perforated container 12 and serves to convey radioactive waste into said perforated container. Perforated container 12 is disposed in a flowing body of water 16 such as a river which serves both as electrolyte and as means for disseminating the radioactive material. Another electrode 18 is also disposed in the river with limited spacing from the perforated container 12.

As in the case of the modification of FIG. 1, the materials constituting the electrodes may be made of the same material or may be of a dissimilar materials between which a difference in potential may develop in an electrolyte and which will conduct an electric current. In this case, too, when the electrode materials are to be made of the same material, carbon will serve quite adequately.

In the modification shown in FIG. 2, electrode 18 may also become strongly irradiated as a result of the presence of radioactive materials in the river water. This is of no great consequence since the radiation level at the container 12 will be at a higher level than that which may develop at electrode 18.

Numerous modifications and embodiments of this invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it being understood that the invention is not to be limited to specific details of the foregoing disclosure except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of generating an electric current, comprising the steps of immersing a pair of juxtaposed elec trodes in a liquid electrolyte containing radioemrsslve substances capable of alpha, beta and gamma emission and cathodically connecting a first electrode while anodically connecting the second electrode in an external circuit to derive an electric current upon decay of said substances and interception of electrically charged particles produced upon such decay by said electrodes.

2. A method of generating an electric current, comprising the steps of immersing a pair of juxtaposed electrodes in a liquid electrolyte containing radioemissive substances capable of alpha, beta and gamma emission displacing said electrolyte with said substances disposed therein past said electrodes, and cathodically connecting a first electrode while anodically connecting the second electrode in an external circuit to derive an electric current upon decay of said substances and interception of electrically charged particles produced upon such decay by said electrodes.

3. A method of generating an electric current, comprising the steps of immersing a pair of juxtaposed electrodes in a body of a liquid electrolyte containing radioemissive substances capable of alpha, beta and gamma emission, said body having a gradient of radioactive intensity with one of said electrodes being positioned at a region of said body of electrolyte exposed to radio emission of relatively high intensity while the other electrode is positioned at a region exposed to radioemission of relatively low intensity, and cathodically connecting a first electrode while anodically connecting the second electrode in an external circuit to derive an electric current upon decay of said substances and interception of electrically charged particles produced upon such decay by said electrodes.

4. A method of generating an electric current, comprising the steps of immersing a pair of juxtaposed electrodes in a body of a liquid electrolyte containing radioemissive substances capable of alpha, beta and gamma emission, said body having a gradient of radioactive intensity with one of said electrodes being positioned at a region of said body of electrolyte exposed to radioemission of relatively high intensity while the other electrode is positioned at a region exposed to radioemission of relatively low intensity, displacing said electrolyte with said substances disposed therein past said electrodes, and cathodically connecting a first electrode while anodically connecting the second electrode in an external circuit to derive an electric current upon decay of said substances and interception of electrically charged particles produced upon such decay by said electrodes.

5. A method of generating an electric current, comprising the steps of immersing a pair of juxtaposed electrodes in a liquid water constituting an electrolyte and containing radioemissive substances capable of alpha, beta and gamma emission, displacing said water with said substances disposed therein past said electrodes, and cathodically connecting a first electrode while anodically connecting the second electrode in an external circuit to derive an electric current upon decay of said substances and interception of electrically charged particles produced upon such decay by said electrodes.

6. A method of generating an electric current, comprising the steps of immersing a pair of juxtaposed electrodes in a body of liquid water constituting an electrolyte and containing radioemissive substances capable of alpha, beta and gamma emission, said body having a gradient of radioactive intensity with one of said electrodes being positioned at a region of said body of water exposed to radioemission of relatively high intensity while the other electrode is positioned at a region exposed to radioemission of relatively low intensity, displacing said water with said substances disposed therein past said electrodes, and cathodically connecting a first electrode while anodically connecting the second electrode in an external circuit to derive an electric current upon decay of said substances and interception of electrically charged particles produced upon such decay by said electrodes.

7. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein said region of relatively low radioemissive intensity is formed by disposing a shield in the region of said other electrode, said shield absorbing at least part of the emission from said substances.

8. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein said gradient of radioactive intensity is formed by adding said radioemissive substances to the body of water in the region of said one of said electrodes to form the region of high radioemissive intensity thereat.

9. A method of generating an electric current, comprising the steps of immersing a pair of juxtaposed electrodes of a pair of dissimilar substances constituting an electrical couple in a body of liquid water constituting an electrolyte and containing radioemissive substances capable of alpha, beta and gamma emission, said body having a gradient of radioactive intensity with one of said electrodes being positioned at a region of said body of water exposed to radioemission of relatively high intensity While the other electrode is positioned at a region exposed to radioemission of relatively low intensity, displacing said water with said substances disposed therein past said electrodes, and cathodically connecting the relatively electronegative electrode while anodically connecting the relatively electropositive electrode in an external circuit to derive an electric current upon decay of said substances and interception of electrically charged particles produced upon such decay by said electrodes.

10. An apparatus for generating an electric current comprising a pair of juxtaposed electrodes immersed in a body of a liquid electrolyte containing radioemissive substances, and means cathodically connecting one of said electrodes and anodically connecting the other of said electrodes in an external circuit to derive an electric current upon decay of said substances.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising means for concentrating said radioactive sub stances in the region of said one of said electrodes.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising shield means in the region of one of said electrodes for reducing the intensity of radioemission intercepted thereby.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,082 9/ 1919 Hartenheim.

2,696,564 12/1954 Ohmart 310-3 X 2,774,891 12/1956 Dziedziula et al 310-3 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,234,539 5/ 1960 France.

OTHER REFERENCES Kramer, Andrew W.: Nuclear Energy and Electric Power, Power Plant Engineering, May 1947, pp. 101-105; pages 104 and 105 relied upon.

CHESTER L. JUSTUS, Primary Examiner.

C. F. ROBERTS, J. P. MORRIS, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A METHOD OF GENERATING AN ELECTRIC CURRENT, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF IMMERXING A PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED ELECTRODES IN A LIQUID ELECTROLYTE CONTAINING RADIOEMISSIVE SUBSTANCE CAPABLE OF ALPHA, BETA AND GAMMA EMISSION AND CATHODICALLY CONNECTING A FIRST ELECTRODE WHILE ANODICALLY CONNECTING THE SECOND ELECTRODE IN AN EXTERNAL CIRCUIT TO DERIVE AN ELECTRIC CURRENT UPON DECAY OF SAID SUBSTANCES AND INTERCEPTION OF ELECTRICALLY CHARGED PARTICLES PRODUCED UPON EACH DECAY BY SAID ELECTRODES. 